CLEVELAND, Ohio - It doesn't take long to figure out that Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. founder John Najeway loves dogs.

Tap handles are in the shape of bones. A dog is clenching a stein in the brewery's logo while Thirsty Dog's motto is "Unleash the flavor." Painted paw prints on the sidewalk lead the way. And, of course, there are the beer names.

The brewery has been around 18 years, making it one of the more venerable ones among the 10 finalists in our first reader-voted NEO's Best Craft Brewery competition. We're visiting and profiling each of the finalists. Vote to determine the overall winner; voting closes at noon Friday, June 19. Select a brewery from the 10 nominees in the drop-down menu embedded in this post. One vote per day, per I.P. address, please.

We'll announce the winner Monday, June 22.

Of course, it's not just gimmicky names or a marketing approach to dog lovers that keeps the brewery in business. Thirsty Dog owns a kennel full of awards, including big wins at the New York International Beer Competition, which is judged by beer buyers, not certified judges.

And Najeway founded an Akron beer fest that passed the decade mark last year. The 11th annual Blues & Brews is coming up Saturday, Aug. 1, a fest that draws dozens of breweries to Lock 3 in downtown Akron.

If dogs are Najeway's top passion, barrel-aging beers is a close second.

"We've got one of the largest barrel-aging systems in the Midwest," he said. "We keep adding room for it."

The brewery, which has about 40 employees, recently added a bottling line capable of handling 750-milliliter bottles as well as 12-ounce bottles. It's the first time Thirsty Dog has used large-format bottles.